Aims: To identify the psychosocial adjustment of Turkish patients with breast cancer and the effects of perceived social support on their adjustment. Materials and Methods: The sample comprised 100 volunteering patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the last six months reporting to the Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit at the Medical Faculty Hospital in northern Turkey. The data for the study were collected through the Descriptive Information Form, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-reflection (PAIS-SR) and the Cancer-Specific Social Support Scale and analyzed via SPSS 16.0 for Windows. Descriptive statistics, Chi square test, ANOVA and correlation were used to evaluate data. Results: There was a negative significant correlation between mean scores in the sub-scales of the social support scale and the ones in the sub-scales of the psychosocial adjustment to illness scale (p<0.05). Similarly, there was a negative significant correlation between confidence support and health care orientation as well as adjustment to social environment. Likewise, emotional support was in a negative significant correlation with health care orientation, adjustment to domestic environment, extended family relationships and adjustment to social environment. Conclusions: It was concluded that social support for patients with breast cancer had an influence on their psychosocial adjustment to illness. Holistic care should be given to breast cancer patients by oncology nurses especially in the first six months of treatment. It could be concluded that patients should be accompanied by their family/relatives in treatment and care following their diagnosis with breast cancer, that their family should be made more aware of the fact that the patient should be physically and psychologically supported, that patients with breast cancer should be provided with domiciliary care, and that they should be encouraged to participate in social support groups.

IntroductionA number of risk factors have been identified in the pathogenesis of breast tumors. Among these, a great number of factors are attributed to the lifestyle (1). Reduced physical activity during cancer treatment can decrease the capacity for physical conditioning. The late effects of cancer and its treatment may consequently reduce physical activity in survivors. Breast cancer survivors with sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk for early mortality (2).About 20%-70% of breast cancer survivors may have sleep disturbance, which is twice of the general population. Sleep disturbance is more prevalent in women with breast cancer as compared to those with other cancers. They report new or worsening sleep disturbances with frequent nocturnal awakening. These problems are attributed to chemotherapy or endocrine treatments induced by early menopause (3, 4).Obesity and severe or extreme obesity is becoming a complex health problem that healthcare providers must begin to address within the oncology community (5). Studies have shown that obese women constitute a high-risk population for developing post-menopause breast cancer, and it is estimated that up to half of breast cancers that develop after menopause are attributed to obesity (6).One third of breast cancer patients report that Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF) has an adverse impact on their daily living activities (7).Quality of Life is a concept that receives a lot of interest from healthcare providers. QoL measures have been used to help identify problems associated with cancer, medical management, and effectiveness of rehabilitative interventions, and to set healthcare policy (8). Breast Health 2017; 13: 94-99 DOI: 10.5152/tjbh.2017.3342 94 ABSTRACT Objective: Many breast cancer survivors have unmet physical and psychological needs. Therefore, current study aimed to evaluate the impact of a lifestyle interventions program on fatigue, quality of sleep, quality of life (QoL), and body mass index (BMI) in women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods:This randomized controlled trial study (RCT) was carried between 2012 and 2015, and included 80 women with breast cancer. They were divided into two groups via a random allocation process: 40 women were allocated to the lifestyle interventions group, and 40 to the control group. Women in the lifestyle group received dietary energy-restriction training and practiced supervised aerobic exercises for 45-60 minutes three times per week throughout 24 weeks and the control group continued their routine life.Results: Differences between the two groups were significantly high for those who participated in the intervention group; this group reported significantly less fatigue, less BMI, improved QoL and better quality of sleep as compared to the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion:Breast cancer survivors may physically and psychologically benefit from participating in a healthy lifestyle interventions program. This program can help relieve fatigue, maintain healthy BMI, improve QoL and enhance the quality of sleep in...

Introduction The major salivary glands can be stimulated by chewing gum to increase saliva flow and decrease xerostomia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chewing gum on dry mouth, interdialytic weight gain, and intradialytic symptoms in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods This prospective randomized controlled single‐blind study was conducted with patients who had been treated for at least 6 months with sessions 3 days a week for 4 hours at two HD units. Patients were randomly allocated to chewing gum group or the control group. In the chewing gum group, gum was chewed for 10 minutes six times a day, and when the patients felt mouth dryness or were thirsty. In the nonchewing gum group, gum was not chewed. The patients were followed‐up for 3 months. A total of three saliva samples were taken before starting treatment at the first, 12th, and 36th HD session. Data were collected with the “Visual Analogue Scale (VAS),” “Hemodialysis Patients Fluid Control Scale,” “Dialysis Symptom Index,” and “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale” at baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12. Findings The study was completed with a total of 44 patients consisting of 22 patients in the each group. The second and third month VAS values (xerostomia) of the patients in the chewing gum groups were statistically significantly lower than those in the control group (P = 0.014, P < 0.001, respectively). The third month salivary flow rate in the chewing gum group was higher than the values in the control group patients (P < 0.001). Discussion It is anticipated that this study will raise nurses' awareness of dry mouth and encourage future studies on interventions to increase the salivary flow rate to prevent or treat dry mouth.

No abstract

This study was designed to determine the effects of saline solution administered prior to endotracheal suctioning by nurses working in intensive care on oxygenation, heart rate and long-term pulmonary hygiene. The study was carried out on an experimental basis in the Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital in Turkey. A total of 20 patients were included, who were mechanically ventilated because of pulmonary or cardiovascular problems or trauma. Data were collected using a data form. Each patient was monitored for 5 minutes following suctioning with or without saline solution and findings of heart rate, SpO2, and blood gas measurements were recorded. Data were analysed using percentage calculations, the student's t-test and the Friedman test. The study showed that most of the patients were between 60 and 69 years and were intubated because of respiratory insufficiency. Evaluation of blood gases following suctioning with or without saline solution showed partial decreases in pO2, pCO2, HCO3, and oxygen saturation (SaO2), which did not reach a significant level. No significant difference was found between pH levels recorded prior to and 5 minutes after suctioning without saline solution; however, the increase in pH following suctioning with saline solution was significant. Patients undergoing suctioning with saline solution exhibited significantly increased heart rates in the fourth and fifth minutes, whereas no increases were detected in these undergoing suctioning without saline solution. SpO2 values obtained by pulse oxymeter did not show significant differences. Saline solution administered with suctioning resulted in undesirable, although not significant, alterations in oxygen saturation and arterial blood gas levels.

Female physicians and nurses need to improve their knowledge and sensitivity concerning breast cancer and BSE if they are to improve and maintain their own well-being as well as carry out their professional roles.

The Effects of the Work Environment on Nurse Burnout in Emergency Department ÖZET Amaç Bu araştırma, acil servislerde çalışan hemşirelerde, çalışma ortamının tükenmişlik düzeylerine etkisini belirlemek amacıyla planlandı. Gereç ve Yöntem Araştırma örneklemini araştırma kriterlerini karşılayan İstanbul'daki acil servislerde çalışan 132 hemşire oluşturdu. Veri toplama aracı olarak, araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen anket formu ile Maslach Tükenmişlik Ölçeği ve Çalışma Ortamı Ölçeği kullanıldı. Bulgular Çalışmamızda, iş dışında hobi ya da sosyal aktivitelere zaman ayırmayan, sosyoekonomik durumundan memnun olmayan, aylık çalışma süresi fazla ve fazla mesai yapanlar ve ekip üyeleri ile sorun yaşayanlarda Duygusal Tükenme ve Duyarsızlaşma düzeylerinin yüksek olduğu; mesleği ve çalıştığı birimi isteyerek seçenler ile meslekte çalışma süresi fazla olanlarda Duygusal Tükenme ve Duyarsızlaşma düzeylerinin düşük olduğu belirlendi. Maslach Tükenmişlik Ölçeği alt boyutları, Çalışma Ortamı Ölçeği alt boyutları ile karşılaştırıldığında, çalışan korkularının düzeyi arttıkça Duygusal Tükenme ve Duyarsızlaşma düzeyinin arttığı, iş doyumu yüksek olanlarda Duygusal Tükenme düzeyinin de yüksek olduğu, aralarındaki farkın anlamlı olduğu belirlendi. Kalite yönetimi, mesleki ilişkiler ve fiziksel kaynakların yeterli olduğu durumlarda Duygusal Tükenme, Duyarsızlaşma ve Kişisel Başarı düzeylerinde anlamlı bir düşüş görüldü. Sonuç Acil servislerde çalışan hemşirelerin seçiminde yeterlilik ve gönüllü olmanın dikkate alınması, acil servislerde araç-gereç ve fiziksel donanımın, çağdaş, çalışanların tedavi ve bakım girişimlerini kolaylaştıracak yapı ve sayıda olmasının hemşirelerin tükenmişlik düzeyleri üzerinde olumlu etkilere sahip olduğu görülmektedir. Çalışanlara iş dışında hobi ya da sosyal aktivitelere katılımı açısından zaman ayırma olanağı verilmeli, ekip üyelerinin iş tanımları yapılarak ekip içi uyumsuzluk ve çatışmalar önlenmelidir.

Objective: The aim was to determine the role of intensive care nurses on guiding the families/relatives of brain-death patients to organ donation. Methods: This research is a descriptive study. While the population of the study consisted of 1710 nurses working in the intensive care units of public, private and university hospitals in the city of Istanbul, the sample consisted of 353 intensive care nurses selected with stratified random sampling method from the probability sampling methods from this population. The data were collected by using “Data Collection Form”. Results: It was determined that 74.5% of the intensive care nurses carefully listened the family/relatives of the patient with possible brain death or suffering from brain death and supported them to express their emotion and thoughts clearly; when the family/relatives of the patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit wanted to get information about organ donation, 20.7% of the nurses made the preliminary explanation themselves and then guided the patient to an organ transplant coordinator for detailed information and 3.1% of the nurses generally gave this information themselves. Conclusions: It was determined that the knowledge of the intensive care nurses about brain death and organ donation was partially adequate and the function of guiding the families/relatives of brain-death patients to organ donation was mostly done by the physician. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.4.1285 How to cite this:Karaman A, Akyolcu N. Role of intensive care nurses on guiding patients’ families/relatives to organ donation. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.4.1285 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.